The List: 16 Sep 1988 (Issue 77)

Alter coming out at the studio clutching your tape there are generally two ways to go next, assuming you've shelled out and made the best product you can. You could try approaching a label with it (either major or independent) or set up your own record company and release the songs through that.

Don’t wait until you‘ve got 1000 copies at your baby cluttering up your living room belore going to see Fast Forward (031 226 4616), the Scottish branch at independent distributors, The Cartel, to talk about distribution. Make an appointment and take along a cassette at your mastertape. ‘They‘ll be presented with opinions, brought down to earth and occasionally mollycoddled,‘ says Fast Forward and 53rd & 3rd supremo Sandy McLean, who often has to bring home a lew truths to naive young bands.

Belore doing anything else you will have to decide about the tormat at your disc. This is not as simple as it once was. In the last year most olthe major record shop chains have banned 7in singles, except lorthose in the Top Forty. It's a sad time torvinyl addicts everywhere, butthe trend can't be ignored. A great deal at the time 7in singles are just not prolitable, and 12in singles and mini-LPs have become the

says, ‘Some things sell betteron 7in, and you‘ll get into the indie shops, but are you ghettoizing yoursell it you aim for that? Basically, certain markets sell well on 7m, and most don‘t.‘

It’s worth remembering that mini-LPs have the same production costs as 12in singles, and bring back a greater return. With Fast Forwards standard distribution deal your indie label will get 70 per cent at the shop price.

needed for the pressing plant to make the ‘negative‘ which stamps out the discs.

».‘ . g a“

norm in the indie sector. As McLean

You can try organising everything

The Thanes

yoursell, but it's simpler and cheaper in the long run to hand overthe reins to a company who will arrange the pressing ol the discs lor you. The Fast Forward labels’ preferred choice is Mayking Records (250 York Road. Battersea, London SW11 SSJ. Tel: 01 924 2147), and since they deal in bulk orders with pressing plants, their lacquers will get higher priority than a small label like the one you’ve just set up.

You will get back test pressings (usually three, though more can be arranged), and it any laults show up on them the problem will have to be

then wobble meant

that The Thanes recently had to re-record an entire song again, though this is unusual. McLean reckons that only about one in titty test pressings are sent back. butthe lacilities Mayking use are extrememly good. It‘s not uncommon tor people to have 200 or so test pressings stamped out at £1 each and sold. still turning a prolit. though this is particularly in records aimed at the club scene. More usually, once the test pressings are passed as satislactory, the label will then order the lull quantity. Mayking will also have sleeves and labels printed, though these can be done at your local printers. The appeal ot this wears oll, however. alter lolding 1000 sleeves yoursell and glueing them down or sticking them in plastic bags.

The minimum order a pressing plant will take is 1000. lie-pressings can be done in batches ol 500. though printers are usually loath to printlessthan 1000. Just stick the remaining 500 sleeves and labels in a cupboard and hope thatthe demand loryourproduct will necessitate a lurther re-pressing.

Finally, don‘t discountthe idea ol compact discs completely. The price at making a 00 these days can be equal to the cost at an LP with a lull-colour sleeve. A largernumberol indie records than you might think are also released on CD. or are CD-only, so it

and Alesis reverb. ()uad amps. Custom Design. Auratone and Beyer Dynamic monitors. Range of microphones and instruments including AKAI 90“ sampler and Roland 'I‘R7ll'7. Although a lotrack studio. independent singles by We l’rec Kings. The ()rchids and the Bachelor Pad have been recorded here. Also has

it is in this area that it is hardest for bands starting out to make any kind of impact. lispecially in (ilasgow. good management is very hard to come by . 'l'hose managers who have 3 enjoyed any kind of ) success seem to be

invon ed with so many bands that any addition to their ranks could at nii ist r‘eceiy e only _‘llper cent ol theit'atterition yshiehis not good enough for any scriotrsact.

()ri tlreotlier hand. there seems to be a worrying tendency on the other extreme for" dodgy characters to attach themser es to halt decent bands and ruin their

prospects When choosing .r manager . the best thing it) do is find someone ytltl c in trust eyen ll their cspci rencc is limited Any intelligent person can pick up the methods of dealing on your behalt reasonably quickly

.-\s for thepromoters. llance factory and Regular \ltisieareboth specialising in name bands